You know you're a true beauty editor when your living space is overtaken by products.

This is basically what the inside of my fridge looks like. (Okay, minus the boa.)

I was told by my grandmother that the best place to keep my makeup, nail polish, fragrance, etc., was in a cool, dark place—aka the fridge. When the door is shut, the light is off and it's always a cool temp.

This especially became my rule of thumb when I moved to NYC, since you rarely have control of your heat in the winter, so your apartment is always boiling. And, the summers are brutally hot, so unless your air conditioning is on, anything that can melt will.

When you open my fridge, there's no chance you'll find leftovers. But, what you will find are tons of bottles of nail polish all neatly packed in clear cases, next to the ketchup, which is close to the mounds of lipsticks that are parked near the balsamic vinegar and about six of my favorite perfumes. What? I'm a beauty editor, it's normal.

I don't only keep products, like fragrance, nail polish, or lipstick, in the refrigerator because I live in an apartment the size of a shoe box. There is an actual scientific explaination that backs me on this one.

"Refrigeration can prolong the shelf life of beauty products, especially if the product has been opened," says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson and founder of BeautyStat.com. "When products are exposed to extreme heat or humidity for an extended period of time, the stability and aesthetics can be compromised." Translation: Your products will look and perform differently than what you're used to.

Take nail polish for example. Nail guru Jin Soon says: "Because high temperatures activate a formula's solvents, making the lacquer thick and gooey, keeping it cool extends its shelf life and helps the polish to apply more smoothly."

Even senior perfumer Stephen Nilsen at Givaudan thinks stashing your scents in your fridge is a good idea: "[Fragrances] are beautiful combinations of precious ingredients and natural extracts that have a finite shelf life—just like fresh-cut flowers. Your most recently purchased scent can be expected to last about two years, but with the right care, you can get it to last longer.

The enemies of fragrance are air, heat, and light; they react with the scent to make it change, causing it to smell less fresh, sour, or even worse! [And even though we like our fragrances to sit out and be exposed for all to see], having them out in the open for months near a hot window will deteriorate the juice's smell faster than one protected from heat and light. Therefore, the best place to protect from heat and light is your refrigerator. Plus, it gives the added bonus of a refreshing spritz on a hot summer day!"

See? I knew there was a method to my madness.

So, where do you store your cosmetics? And will you be changing their location to the fridge to make them last longer?Photo: Getty Images